Playing with Fire
by Lonestarr
Summary: A look into the past can have disastrous results on the present.
1. My Wicked Life

Disclaimer: "Xiaolin Showdown" is owned by Warner Bros.

The young man's bright green eyes scanned his living quarters.

Surrounding him was his every heart's desire. Music from his favorite artists. An assortment of exotic foods. Every video game known to man. Not a day went by when he couldn't believe that he could own all of this. The price turned out to be very steep; this was all his for the low, low price of…plunging the world into eternal darkness and betraying the individuals he had come to know as a second family.

That had been many years ago. His second family had since passed on…though not of old age. Pangs of guilt would strike him from time to time for his complicity, but a few hours on his gaming systems would numb the hurt.

"Raimundo?" She had returned. He gave a brief look up from his game, which, ironically, featured characters who fought for honor and respect - qualities that were all but foreign to him, now. The sing-songish nature of the female's voice was a surprise; usually, the woman adopted a harsher tone in her…'business practice'.

The doors to his quarters flew open. The woman possessed a fierce mane of red hair. Orange highlights showed at the tips and her crown, but the majority maintained a blood-like coloring. Her figure was as eye-catching as her hair. If the bodies of every model in a catalog of lacy undergarments were compiled together, then divided by any structural flaws, the result would be that of the creature that walked inside. She wore what looked to be a black Asian dress with long sleeves and a red belt. The high slits showed off her legs.

She waved her hands and the doors slammed shut. That kind of trick used to surprise Raimundo, but he had come to expect it.

"How are you feeling, Raimundo?"

The young man shrugged. "Pretty good", he offered in his Brazilian accent. "How goes the world domination?"

"It's been rather dull." The woman stretched her body much in the way a cat would before sitting beside the young man. "The heavy lifting was pretty much done in the first couple years or so. All that's left is wiping out the Resistance and that's been taken care of." She stared at him, her expression softening to one of surprising affection. "How old are you now?"

He focused back on his game. "About eighteen."

"Well, that is good to know." With another wave of her slender hand, the hardware turned off.

Raimundo, snapped out of his trance, glowered at the woman. "Wuya, what was that for?"

"I never did get to thank you all those years ago."

Raimundo extended his arms. "I'd say you've thanked me pretty well."

She put his arms down. "No, I mean…have you ever had a girlfriend?"

The young man wasn't sure how to answer that. He was never shy about his feelings for girls, except for this one girl with whom he might've had a chance if things had gone differently; if he hadn't jeopardized the only chance--

"Well?" The sugar left Wuya's voice, replaced with impatience.

Raimundo nervously shook his head. "No. Never."

In the blink of an eye, Wuya's dress reshaped itself into a black bra and miniskirt, an action that was not lost on the young man.

"Whoa!" He reared back. "What was that?"

"This is how I've always wanted to thank you." She arose from her seat and strutted around him. "You find me attractive." It was less an inquiry than a statement of fact. Whenever she visited, she'd always caught him staring at her. She said nothing, opting instead to make her outfits skimpier with each visit.

"I guess. Well, yeah. You are pretty."

In one fluid motion, Wuya lowered herself to Raimundo's position, her green eyes boring into him. "I'm gorgeous."

"Well, yes you are. I just never…considered…" The young man started to stammer. No woman had ever been this forward with him.

"Well, I have." She laced her fingers around his forearm. "Working out, are we?"

"Yeah. I…the instinct never really goes away, you know?"

Her other hand tousled his hair. "To be honest, this talk is boring. I'm here. You're here. I'm gorgeous. You realize it."

Raimundo's eyes widened. What his benefactor was suggesting became crystal clear to him. "Whoa." He closed his eyes as started to shake his head. "I'm not sure if--"

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo didn't see anything happen, but he certainly felt it. He opened his eyes. He was currently lying in his bed. His eyes traveled to the other side of the mattress.

"I thought you'd never get here." Wuya was lying on her side, a coy look on her face.

"Whoa!", he exclaimed as he leapt from the bed. "I-I really don't think I like where this is going."

Wuya simply stood up. "First time?" The Heylin witch mentally removed her bra. She didn't even wait for the young man to answer. Somehow, she just knew. With a wave of her hand, his shirt was gone.

Raimundo wasn't one for blushing, but it was tough to avoid upon looking down at his bare chest…and glancing at Wuya's didn't make things any easier.

She advanced on him, her chest intimidating him into a corner. "Don't worry, Raimundo." He tried to back away, but the walls wouldn't allow it. Wuya leaned over and whispered into his ear. "I'll be gentle."

"Gentle…" Raimundo processed the word as if he heard it for the very first time. Wuya planted her lips onto his. The young man's resistance melted away as he held onto the witch. She jammed her tongue into his mouth, pinning his with minimal difficulty.

The two of them sunk to the bed, Wuya on top of Raimundo. She held his arms down and, once again, kissed him.

Raimundo took a few shallow breaths. "I don't know about…"

Wuya silenced him with a slender finger upon his lips. With a wave of her hand, a pair of pants flew behind her. Her liege laid almost bare.

"Just let me be good to you." Her fingers hooked the band of her boxers and started to tug.

"I know you will, Kimiko." Raimundo was surprised at what came out of his mouth. The dreamy look on Wuya's face shifted to one of utter shock.

She shook her head slightly. "What did you call me?"

Raimundo shrugged. "I…don't know. What did I call you?"

"Kimiko. That scrawny brat you used to fight alongside."

"Her?" Raimundo couldn't lie to himself; there had been small inklings of…something between him and the girl. If he hadn't ignored her tearful pleas of mercy all those years ago, who knows what may have happened? "I've just about forgotten about her."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely."

"Now…", she rasped. "The fun can begin."

"Ohhhh." He rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait, Kimiko."

Wuya released the elastic and gave Raimundo a hard look. "You did it again."

He shrugged. "What?" The witch said nothing as she stood up.

"If you love her so much, perhaps you can join her!" Before he could react, Raimundo felt himself engulfed by green flame. His agonizing screams were music to Wuya's pointed ears. She started to chuckle. Before long, the body on the bed lay motionless and the chuckling had mutated into full-on cackling.

The wicked laughter reverberated throughout the enclosure.


	2. Happily Ever After

Raimundo woke up in a cold sweat. He panted as if he'd just run a marathon. He covered his eyes with his hand.

He rushed to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. He threw the cold water on his face and patted it dry with a towel.

The woman who had been next to him leaned over, resting her hand on…air. Her bright blue eyes followed the light to the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes and turned on the lamp beside the bed.

"Raimundo, what is it?"

He was surprised to hear her voice and cringed at the worry it held. He hadn't wanted to wake her. He turned toward the woman. "I had the dream again."

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo sat at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. Kimiko grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured herself a fresh cup from the pot.

"Rai, this is the third time this week. Why won't you see someone about this?"

He looked up at her. "What if I don't need to see someone?"

"What if there's some kind of meaning behind the dream? It could be trying to warn you about something."

The young man groaned. Kimiko took notice of this.

"Am I saying something you don't want to hear?"

"Kim, you know I don't like riddles. If someone wants to tell me something, they should just come right out and tell me."

"I really get the feeling that this is something that you aren't just gonna be told. Even worse, I think that you might be in trouble."

Raimundo pushed away from the table and stood up. "Kim, Wuya is trapped in the puzzle box just like she's been for the last few years. I don't think that anyone is going to be in much of a hurry to let her out."

"But what if--"

"Kimiko, please. Who would be that desperate to unleash Wuya on the world?"

XxXxXxXxX

Like a number of basements, this one was cluttered with junk. Unlike most basements, however, the junk served a purpose. It was created by the basement's occupant, who, at the moment, was at a table, twisting two wires together with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

The person tossed off a pair of goggles. Underneath was the gaunt features of a young man, whose red eyes fixed onto the project at hand - a circuit board.

He gave it an approving nod and set it aside.

A knock at the door caused him to grunt.

"_Hello?"_ It was a woman's voice. A throaty voice. There was only one person he knew with such a voice. Even more, there was only one woman he knew who would willingly disturb his work.

The young man walked over and turned on his stereo system. Techno blared forth from the antiquated device.

He walked back to his desk. A pretty young woman in a blue dress was sitting on the edge, her blonde hair barely touching her shoulder blades.

"Man, that stuff's loud. You wanna turn it down?"

"No, I don't want to-- aaaugh!" The young man reared back at his uninvited guest. "What the hell are you doing here, Ashley?"

Ashley turned the music down. "Can't a girl say hello to her favorite…" The blonde looked off, searching for the right word. The two were hardly close. "…hello!", she said with a wave.

"Hello", he responded in a dark voice. "Now get out."

"Oh, come on, Jack! How many visitors have you even had in the last…ever?"

They both knew the answer, but he was anxious to get to the bottom of this. "How did you even get in?"

She whipped out a credit card and held it between her fingers. "Don't leave home without it."

"That card's no good now."

"I know. It expired last month." She tossed it away. "So, what have you been doing with yourself?"

"You see all this? This is what I've been doing with myself."

"You certainly haven't been updating your technology." She motioned to the stereo. "Your parents still let you live here?"

"On the condition that I get a job." He spat the last word out. "Returning to my original question, what are you doing here?"

"Just a visit. I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd stop by."

"Right. You probably followed some hunk of beefcake here and you just want to taunt me. I know you, Ashley."

She started to circle him, like a cat playing with a mouse. "Do you also know, Jack, that there's a hunk of ice not twenty miles from here looking for a new home?" By now, she was nose-to-nose with her unwilling host. "Don't pretend you know me so well…or did you forget that it's bad luck to cross a black cat burglar's path?" She tapped his nose.

Jack folded his arms. "Still a stray, huh?"

"Guilty."

"I'm sure."

"Hey, not everyone can make an honest living like you. Some people want to have fun in life."

"Right. Good luck with your…diamond or whatever."

"I'll be thinking of you." The woman twiddled her fingers as she waved to Jack and shut the door.

XxXxXxXxX

Like any good structure, it must first possess a sturdy foundation, whether a good recipe or a building. Given the various men working on the steel girders high above the ground, it wasn't a bananas foster being constructed.

Two men in hardhats glanced at a blueprint. One of them was a burly middle-aged gentleman who was holding the print.

"…and now, we get the order that there has to be an extra story on this thing!" The man yelled to be heard over the noise of the machinery.

"It never ends!" Raimundo put a finger in his ear to preserve some of his hearing. "We just finished the two stories last week!"

"I know, Pedrosa, but that's business! Now, I need you to get up there and help set the girder for welding!"

"You got it!" Raimundo hurried to the elevator and pushed the 'up' button. The older man watched him go up. When they first met, he couldn't believe that such a scrappy young kid could work a construction job like this. Two years and three buildings later, it's still amazing, but he was happy to have him aboard.

As the elevator rose higher and higher up the building, he mused on his life. As time went on, he had grown to care for and, eventually, love Kimiko. He knew that she might never see him as anything but the snarky goofball, so he vowed to impress her; to really show her that he could be the man she wanted. To his surprise, it worked.

Years later, he proposed marriage and agreed to accompany her back to Tokyo. In spite of the initial language barriers (he spoke no Japanese and the people around him spoke very little - if any - English, much less Portuguese), he managed to acclimate well. Of course, having such a friendly - and pretty - translator helped, but he tried to learn the language.

As most of his fellow workers were countrymen, knowing the language didn't hurt.

["What's going on?"], one worker inquired.

"Um…" Still, there was the occasional stumble. ["…the boss said we have to add…another story."]

The workers groaned. That required no translation on Raimundo's part.

Within minutes, the girder was set up. The men would have to set up several, but the first one was, perhaps, the most important.

Raimundo held it up along with two others while a third operated a blow torch. It was necessary to wear protective eye gear while the flames were alight. He looked away as the sparks flew from the girder base.

He glanced out into the distance. The clouds passed peacefully. He took a breath, which one of his fellow workers noticed.

["Shouldn't be too much longer."]

'Good', Raimundo thought. This was a fairly easy job, but an exhausting one, as well. He, again, glanced out into the stratosphere. Nothing too unusual.

_Raimundo…_

That sounded like a woman's voice…a familiar woman's voice. He shook his head. Nothing to worry about--

"Whoa!" From out of seemingly nowhere, a face appeared to him. It was white, with spiraled yellow eyes surrounded by a raccoon-like mask, sharpened teeth and a pointed red nose.

Raimundo lost his footing and fell off of the narrow girder. The vertical girder was in place, but the younger man held on.

["Help!"], he called out. The two men who had been holding the girder with him pulled him up. "_Domo arigato_," he panted as he stood to his feet.

"What the hell's going on up there?"

As the chuckling of a disembodied, deep feminine voice echoed through the air, Raimundo glanced down at his employer. "Very little", he lied as the laughter faded away.

The other workers looked at each other as the young man retreated to the elevator.

The moment it landed on the ground, Raimundo was mobbed by his boss. "What the hell happened? Are you all right?"

He waved his hand. "I'm fine. I…guess I didn't get enough sleep."

"Pedrosa, you're no good to me tired and even less so dead. Take five, then you're on the ground the rest of the day."

Raimundo started to protest. "But I can--"

"Try for a week?"

He exhaled. "Yes, sir."

"Fine." He nodded as Raimundo stepped out of the elevator car.

Kicking up dirt with his work boots, he made his way to the phone and dialed.

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko flicked on the lights and set her keys down on the table. The phone rang. She hurried over to the coffee table and picked it up.

"Hello. This is Kimiko Tohomiko-Pedrosa. May I help you?"

"' _Tohomiko-Pedrosa'? I didn't know you were a hyphenate."_

She blushed. "Raimundo?"

"_None other. So, about your name…"_

"Raimundo, I love your name, but people from the company call from time to time." She ran a hand through her long, raven hair. "They know me as a Tohomiko and I don't want to insult you by using just that name."

A brief pause. "_Good point."_

She reclined on the couch. "So, how have you been?"

"_Same old, same old. One piece of metal goes here. Another there. Rinse, repeat. And you?"_

"I just got back from another meeting."

"_Is everything all right?" _The fatigue in her voice was noticeable on 'another'.

Kimiko sighed. "It's nice that daddy wants me to run the company after he passes, but…it gets to be too much, sometimes."

"_Hard work is the price one must pay for a life of privilege."_

"How _is_ Master Fung doing, I wonder?"

"_There's a way to find out."_

"I know. I know. After I relax."

"_I'll see you tonight."_

"I love you."

"_I love _you…_Mrs. Tohomiko-Pedrosa."_

The young woman laughed as she hung up the phone. She stretched as she got up and walked toward the hallway.

Kimiko opened the door and turned on the lights of the bathroom. She walked up to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She still looked amazing…and the mirrored shower door behind her seemed to accentuate the point.

The water ran into her cupped hands. She tossed it on her face and patted it dry with a towel.

Her reflection in the shower door started to turn around and face Kimiko, as if it were looking at her from some alternate world. The reflection's green eyes scowled at the young woman.

Kimiko set the towel down and glanced in the mirror. The reflection behind her reached its arms out. Before she could turn to defend herself, the arms grabbed her, causing her to thrash about. The reflection scowled and tugged at Kimiko's arms, slamming her into the mirror.

With a mild groan, Kimiko fell to the floor. The reflection folded its arms before disappearing into mist. The mist seeped out of the mirror and floated into her back.

Kimiko got up and shook a little. She looked at herself in the mirror once again…and smirked. "Perfect."

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo walked through the front door. "Kimiko, I'm home!"

"_I've been expecting you."_ He looked in the direction of the voice. A leg stuck out from hallway. A look of confusion quickly formed on his face. The rest of the body stepped into view.

It was Kimiko, but…not as he had ever seen her. She wore a black baby doll nightgown and high heels. Her dark hair was done up in pigtails, just like in her youth.

"What's the deal?"

She chuckled. "I'm not sure I understand."

"What's with your hair?"

"I just felt like doing it up this way. It's been a long time and, besides, the past is never too far away."

Raimundo nodded, unsure what to make of the remark. "So, let's do this."

Kimiko grabbed his arms and stared into his eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Yeah. That sunset won't watch itself."

"Sunset?!"

"Yeah. Don't you want to watch?"

"Not really." Kimiko folded her arms and looked very cross as her husband walked onto the balcony outside and stared at the orange-red sun disappearing over the horizon.

Kimiko stomped her foot down in anger but, in spite of how cute she looked doing it, Raimundo was lost in nature's spectacle.


	3. Perspective

The sun peeked in through the windows of the bedroom. The alarm went off, the display reading '6:45'.

Raimundo sat up in bed and stretched out, taking part of the sheets with him. Kimiko grunted at the loss of cover and blindly reached her hand out to take it back.

"Man, did I sleep good." He hopped out of bed and walked to his wife's side. "I told you the dream was nothing to worry about." He kissed her cheek. "And don't worry about breakfast. I'll take care of it."

He hurried to the bathroom. Kimiko, meanwhile, glanced out from under the blankets. It had been a long time since she slept and while her host body was used to getting a good night's sleep, she was not.

XxXxXxXxX

"…_don't worry. The interview is later today. I'll do fine."_

"_As long as you don't mention the 'trying to take over the world' stuff."_

"Ha ha." Jack opened the door of the basement shaking his head. "Why would I mention the--"

"Morning, sunshine." It was Ashley. She waved at the surprised young man.

"Whoa! How'd you get in here?"

She motioned toward the wall. "You really should leave your windows unlocked more often. It was a real nightmare trying to sneak past your mom."

Jack walked over to his work table and pulled up a stool. "What do you want?"

"You look a little warm." She pulled an item from her purse. "How about some ice to cool you off?"

"'Katnappe makes off with a diamond'. I'll call the papers."

"I'd prefer you didn't." She hopped on his table and sat, her legs swinging back and forth. "You never told me what job you had."

"I don't have it _yet_. It's a design engineer position at this toy company; Toshi…something."

"Sounds interesting. Just make sure you don't say anything about 'trying to take over the world'. That doesn't look so good on a resume."

Jack threw his hand up. "I'm surrounded by comediennes. My mom just said that to me."

"Think of it like this: your employers might go easy on you when they find out how bad you were at it." The blonde woman stifled a laugh.

"Whatever." Jack waved his hand dismissively as he walked to the wall and tended to some spare parts.

Ashley stashed the diamond in her purse and hopped off of the table. "Oh, come on, Jack. Don't be so uptight. I didn't mean anything by it." He missed the quick smirk that tugged at her lips. She meant something.

"Don't you have any friends you can annoy?"

"Yeah, but all they want to do is go shopping and get drunk. Sure, those things are fun, but not all the time!"

Jack turned around to face her. "I don't see why people bother with having friends. The things _they_ want to do and the things _you_ want to do are never the same." Being something of a savant, Jack had made more enemies than friends in school, which fed into a growing anger at the world. Ultimately, the decision was made to have Jack home-schooled. However, as his school day was shorter than a regular one (not to mention the lack of friends), he had lots of time to himself to tinker around in the basement. While on a walk that his parents made him take, he happened upon a box in the meadow. His discovery of the restless spirit within would change his life.

"So true. The girls always think I'm kidding when I suggest knocking over a jewelry store. 'Daddy wouldn't like it'."

"Yeah, girls like that are always so stuck up…no offense."

"None taken. I act that way and _I_ get sick of it."

"Ashley…"

"Yes?" She gazed hopefully at him.

"Well, I…" Jack rubbed the back of his head. "I think you should use the door whenever you come here. My mom wouldn't mind seeing you."

"Ah." The young woman nodded her head. "No problem, Jack." Her playful falsetto changed to a matter-of-fact tone. She grabbed her purse and started toward the window. She smacked her head. "Oh. What was I thinking?" Ashley changed direction and walked toward the door. She turned to Jack. "Oh, and two things: one: I was better at trying to take over the world than you ever were…and I wasn't even trying, and two: don't screw up that interview too much. You seem to have a natural gift for screwing things up." She slammed the door. Jack shook his head, wondering why her mood turned so sour.

XxXxXxXxX

The construction site was a place of work. The whistling and catcalls that beautiful women would've suffered in the States were entirely absent here…

"Hey, Pedrosa. Get a load of her."

…which is not to say that such people aren't around. Raimundo sat at the crane, pulling a lever that lifted a girder toward his co-workers.

"Is there a chance that I can concentrate on this?", he said, not even looking at the man.

"You're gonna miss her."

Deciding to indulge his boss, Raimundo took a look at the pretty college student who happened by the entrance. He shrugged. "She's nice, I guess."

"'Nice'? Are you feeling all right?"

"I really don't see the point of whistling at strange girls. I mean, I certainly might've a few years ago, but if I want to whistle at a pretty girl, I can always go home for that. And what about you? You're married, too."

The older man shrugged. "Yeah, but not happily married."

Turning away from the entrance, Raimundo lifted another girder to the men working on the next story.

A young woman walked past the entrance. She came back and walked in. Her outfit - a tight-fitting tube top, thigh-high stockings and a too short skirt - made her look like a loli aficionado, in spite of her apparent adulthood.

"Whoa. Talk about dressed to kill." The man tipped his hardhat. "And how may I help you this fine day?"

"You can start by getting out of my way", the woman purred in a reedy voice…one that Raimundo was sure he recognized.

A chill ran up his spine as he turned around. "Kimiko?!"

"Honey!" She ran up to Raimundo, who wore a horrified look on his face.

"Was there a power outage? Did you get dressed in the dark?"

"What, this old thing? I just bought it a few minutes ago."

He shook his head. "Are you sure it's the right size?"

"I knew this was too big", Kimiko said as she adjusted the tube top. Raimundo grabbed her arms and held them down. She started to laugh. "Oh, what's wrong?"

He released his wife's hands and motioned to her. "This, okay?! This is wrong. You being dressed like this is wrong. You being dressed like this _in public_ is wrong."

"So you don't like the outfit?"

"I hate it."

"Hmmm. I'll just take it off then." Kimiko reached for her tube top. She, once more, felt her arms pinned.

Raimundo looked to his boss. "Mr. Sullivan, I'm gonna be taking a break now." The young man picked up his wife and slung her over one arm.

"Well, don't take _too _long with her", the man called out.

"I can't promise I'll have him back in one piece."

Raimundo shook his wife, hoping to silence her. He gave his boss a quick look. The man pumped his fists suggestively. A groan escaped the young man's lips.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo opened the front door and dragged Kimiko inside. He'd held her hand the whole way like she were a child…and given her behavior on the ride back, the treatment was appropriate.

"What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing, and that's the problem."

Raimundo released the woman and looked through the cabinets and drawers of the residence. Kimiko fell to the floor and giggled.

After about five minutes of rummaging, he found what he needed. The brunette's laughter died out as she felt herself sit down in a chair. When she tried to move her hand, the happy noise stopped cold. One of her hands was twist-tied to the back and Raimundo was working on the other hand.

"Well, this is new. What game is this?"

"Oh. Uh, this game is called 'We'll Talk About This When I Get Home Tonight'." Raimundo wiped beads of sweat from his brow as he stalked toward the door.

"What's the object of the game? How do you determine the winner? What if I get hungry? Thirsty? What if I have to use the little girl's room?" The door closed. "You didn't think this game through very well!"

XxXxXxXxX

The rest of the day failed to improve for Raimundo. He managed to get his work done well enough, but looking back, it probably wasn't wise to mention to Mr. Sullivan that he had to tie his wife up.

He walked up the path to his home. Just as he walked up to the door, he hesitated. Sure, his wife had acted…irrational earlier, but tying her up wasn't a very thoughtful act, either. He wasn't sure how he'd justify it when he went in, though he knew he'd have to eventually.

Out of curiosity, he walked over to the window. He glanced through the crack of the curtains and gasped. A pile of ash rested where the chair he tied Kimiko to once sat. This was officially serious. The two of them had no need to use their abilities once they left the temple, and, even more, it had been one of their wedding vows, albeit worded in such a way that only a handful of the wedding guests would've understood.

Raimundo had a feeling that Kimiko would be upset at what he did, and, assuming she was still at home, would still be lurking about.

XxXxXxXxX

Still dressed in her loli outfit, Kimiko walked down the street. The crowd didn't seem to notice her. Whether they were ignoring her or if this sort of thing was common mattered little to her. She had only one thing on her mind.

She arrived at the construction site. Her face fell. The gate was locked and a 'closed' sign rested on it.

A snarl seemingly sculpted on her face, she rushed in the opposite direction.

XxXxXxXxX

After making sure it was safe to go inside the house, Raimundo rushed up the stairs and looked up to a door in the ceiling. He jumped up and pulled the stairs down. He climbed into the attic, pulling the stairs up after him.

XxXxXxXxX

The point of coming up here was usually to be at peace, or to gain some understanding on life or get away from the world at large.

Sitting Indian-style and facing the window, Raimundo closed his eyes and exhaled softly. It was only a matter of moments until…

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo opened his eyes. He found himself floating in a smoky void. He felt himself sink lower and lower to what felt like solid ground. The moment his feet touched down, he ran, eager for contact with someone…anyone.

"Master Fung?" He called out into the void. The only answer was his echoed plea. "Is anyone here?"

Still no answer.

The young man looked despondent. He'd been told that this was the surest method of contacting his former mentor. And they said that meditation was supposed to clear your mind of burdens.

"Great. Who else am I gonna turn to?"

"_Who, indeed?"_

Raimundo spun around. Floating into his line of sight was a man who, in spite of the odd wrinkle, looked a good deal younger than he actually was. He regarded the young man with a small nod of the head.

"Master Fung. Am I glad to see you."

"It has been a long time, Raimundo. Things are going well for yourself and Kimiko?"

"For the most part, yeah."

"I know you didn't just come here to catch up. What troubles you?"

"Actually, it's what's troubling Kimiko. I don't know how to describe it, exactly, but…she's not herself."

"In what way?"

"Well, yesterday, she didn't want to watch the sunset with me, but I just figured that she was tired. Then, today, she comes to my job dressed like a tramp and she's all over me like a cheap suit. I mean, there's a time and a place for stuff like that, but it really doesn't make sense to flaunt this to strangers in public."

"Is Kimiko with you?"

"No. I had to come alone. I took her back home. I didn't know what else to do, so I tied her to a chair. A lot of good that did. She scorched it."

The older man raised an eyebrow. "That does seem suspicious."

"And you want to know what else? Before today, I'd been having this nightmare. Wuya had a body and she had wanted to make love to me, but I rejected her and she burned me alive."

"Raimundo, I think you may have solved the problem with your wife."

The young man brightened. "I have? Tell me what I need to do."

"Getting your wife back to normal will not be an easy task. You will need to go back to the beginning. There, you'll find an unlikely expert on the problem at hand. For now, keep her close. If something is wrong with her, you won't want her out of your sight."

"You can't just tell me what to do?"

"I thought I did. You are no longer that immature little boy who first arrived at the temple. There are some things you need to figure out on your own."

"Well, what if I can't figure this out? What if I _need_ to be that immature little boy, if only for a while?"

"Answer me this, Raimundo: would Kimiko have agreed to marry, much less fallen for that little boy?" He averted his eyes downward. "She needs her husband."

Raimundo took a breath. "You're right. I'll try to figure this on my own."

"A wise decision."

"Thanks. I--"

"_Master Fung?"_

Raimundo glanced behind the old man toward the source of the inflected voice. A figure appeared out of the fog. He looked to be dressed in garb similar to that of Master Fung (which one needs as temple apprentice). However, his most noticeable feature was his bald, yellow head. It wasn't as big as it used to be; his body finally grew into it.

"Omi?"

"Raimundo? Your eyes are a sore sight for me."

"I think he means 'you're a sight for sore eyes'." A Southern drawl echoed as another figure appeared, this one bigger than the others. This was another young man, a shock of blonde hair peeking out from under a cowboy hat. His outfit complemented the look. "And you sure are." Though he served as the best man at the wedding, he hadn't seen Raimundo in many years. Running a ranch in Texas is more work than one would imagine.

"Clay! How've things been going?"

"Pretty dull, t' be honest with you." He rubbed the back of his head. "I kind of miss our days at the temple; fightin' evil…"

"…collecting Shen-Gong-Wu…"

"…going on adventures." Raimundo glanced at Master Fung. "And I guess I get to go on another one."

"Won't you require some assistance?"

"We _are_ a team, after all."

"Nah. Thanks, guys, but this is something I need to take care of on my own."

Clay shrugged. "Well, best o' luck to you."

"Thanks." Raimundo looked at his hand. It began to fade away.

"Remember what I said, Raimundo."

"I will." With those words, the former leader was gone.

At that moment, a small reptilian creature slithered between Clay's legs. To look at it, one would think that he was a gecko instead of what he really was - a dragon. He looked up at the old man. "Master Fung. Good thing I caught you. I just felt a major Shen-Gong-Wu attack in…"

"Dojo?"

"What? I have something in my teeth?" He picked at his sharp teeth before catching sight of Master Fung twirling his finger. Dojo turned around. "Clay! Long time, no see. This is amazing."

"Yeah. You know you just missed Raimundo."

The dragon's features paled. He shook his head. "Why can't I be kept in the loop about these things?"


	4. Mind Games

Tears fell down the young woman's soft face. She panted quickly, as if having engaged in a brutal fight. This was likely because she _was_ fighting.

This was the second battle she fought in as many nights. The fight wasn't so much for honor or for the hell of it as it was for property. The young woman had been fighting for what was rightfully hers…namely, her body.

Even though her spirit was in good condition, Kimiko was unable to defeat Wuya for control of her body. She fought like mad to gain the upper hand, exhibiting just about every facet of training she received at the temple. Wuya, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat when she faced the young woman. One would think that, given her time cooped up in a box, she wouldn't have much fight in her. However, one should not reckon with the power of a woman - especially one as powerful as Wuya - who's really ticked off.

Kimiko sat in darkness, aching and huddled, waiting for the next opportunity to face her captor. She took a breath before lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Raimundo."

XxXxXxXxX

The sun set over the horizon. To any and all who witnessed it, it was a gorgeous and inspirational sight.

Raimundo sat on his couch, facing away from the window. The phone receiver at his ear, he looked somewhat agitated. "I'm gonna take a week off. Yes, I know it's pretty short-notice, but this is important. I need to take care of my wife. No, I don't think you _do_ get it. I'll see you later."

He glanced up as the door flew open. Standing outside was Kimiko, a furious look on her face.

"Where have you been?"

"Looking for you. Do you even care that I was alone in the city? Or that so many men flirted with me?"

"Dressed like that, it's no mystery", he muttered.

"What?"

"You heard me, Kimiko!" Frustrated, he put his hand to his head. "I don't know what it is with you! These last couple of days, it's like you're not yourself."

Kimiko ran her hands along Raimundo's chest. "Oh, of course I am. I'm just…lonely. I need you to be there for me", she pleaded in a babyish tone.

"I want to be there for me, but you need to get a grip."

"Way ahead of you." She reached behind him and grabbed his rear. He placed a vice-like grip on her hands and held them in front of him.

"Kimiko, I love you. I've always loved you…and I always will." The fight was gone from Raimundo's voice, replaced by a resigned tone that suggested a man at the end of his rope.

Kimiko's head turned to the side. Her eyes looked toward the floor. "Oh, Raimundo." There seemed to be genuine affection in her voice. She hugged him deeply. He couldn't help but return the gesture. In a matter of seconds, her face twisted, as though being reshaped by some insane sculptor. "Let's make love", she intoned, her voice having dropped several octaves.

Raimundo stretched out his arms and yawned theatrically. "I don't know." He blinked as he scratched his back. "I'm feeling a little tired. Maybe I could take a rain check on that." He started toward the stairs, facing away from the young woman.

Kimiko stared at him. "Are you kidding?!"

"I need my rest for work."

As he smirked, she stomped her foot on the floor. Of its own accord, her hand became engulfed in a ball of flame. She scowled, staring Raimundo down as he disappeared up the stairs. After a few moments, the fire dissipated in her hand as quickly as it appeared. Her time would come soon enough.

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko had fallen dead asleep in bed, much to Raimundo's relief. He snuck downstairs not long after she retired and was sleeping on the couch.

A light groan escaped her lips. She turned in bed, panting heavily. She pounded the mattress with a balled-up hand. Another groan, but much longer.

XxXxXxXxX

The surrounding area was a mass of swirling pink smoke, almost like what one sees when they close their eyes.

Kimiko found herself on her feet, even though she couldn't remember standing up. Almost involuntarily, she balled her hands and grit her teeth. No doubt about it: she was angry.

"Come on out, you snake!", she yelled out into the void. She looked all around her when no answer came. "Where are you?!"

"_Now why are you so angry, little girl?"_ Kimiko immediately turned behind her and leapt backwards. She would not allow her opponent the advantage of surprise.

"Show yourself, you crone!"

A very un-crone-like figure appeared before her: one of long red hair and a striking figure. It was Wuya…in her human form. "That's not very polite, Kimiko."

"Why should I be polite? You took my body from me!"

"I see it more as putting it to better use. Besides, I thought you'd appreciate a vacation from yourself."

Kimiko stared at the Heylin witch and summoned a burst of flame. Wuya simply snorted as it flew toward her. She caught it with both hands and, returning the determined stare, tossed it right back.

The young woman crossed her arms into an 'X', hoping to block it. She was successful, even though it knocked her back a few steps.

Wuya smiled. "My turn." She waved her hand across the ground where Kimiko stood. It collapsed beneath her, engulfing her like quicksand. The young woman groaned as she fought her way out. The witch waggled her finger. "Uh-uh. Mustn't struggle. That only makes it worse."

Halfway above ground, Kimiko shot a tiny flame at Wuya's feet.

"Aaaah!" She jumped out of the fire.

"A little too hot for you?" Kimiko put her hands on her hips as best as she could.

"That was very unwise, little girl."

"What? It's not like you believe in fighting fair."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "You want a fair fight? You got one." With a snap of her fingers, Kimiko was standing on solid ground. Any traces of quicksand were history.

Wuya started to moan. From Kimiko's perspective, it looked like her opponent was shrinking by a few inches. Her long red hair shortened and darkened, re-arranging itself into a pair of pigtails. Her black dress rearranged itself into a red uniform and shoes appeared out of nowhere onto her feet. She had become Kimiko as she once knew her, although a bit older.

"Now, it's a fair fight", Wuya said in Kimiko's cute voice. The real Kimiko recoiled at this.

Wuya struck a fighting pose and, with her index and middle fingers, she beckoned the young woman.

Kimiko ran toward…herself and delivered a series of blows to Wuya's face and midsection. Firebending was not the only trick in her arsenal.

Wuya, seemingly unfazed by the assault, grabbed Kimiko's arm as it stopped short of her stomach and twisted it around her back.

She tightened the grip, causing Kimiko to groan. A smile grew on the double's face; this was music to her ears. Wuya whispered in Kimiko's voice. "How can you possibly hope to defeat me when you can't even defeat yourself?" A tear ran down the young woman's cheek. "Your husband is a tough nut to crack, but I'll break him soon enough. You wanna know why?" Wuya yanked Kimiko toward her, putting even more pressure on the arm. "Because he loves me more than he loves you. I could see it in his eyes when I turned human all those years ago. He…is…mine."

With lightning speed, Kimiko brought her free hand, now a fist, up and slammed it into Wuya's face. The witch reared back and shook her head. Kimiko shook the kinks out of her arm and lunged at Wuya once again.

Wuya grabbed her arm - the one that she'd been assaulted with - and slammed her to the ground. Kimiko tried to sit up, but Wuya placed her foot right on her chest.

Fake-Kimiko smirked at the real thing as the dark hair, red outfit and shoes disappeared, leaving only Wuya with her flowing red locks, black dress and bare feet. "'Fair fight'. Silly little girl." Kimiko's voice remained as if to further taunt the young woman. Wuya began to chuckle, her own dark voice gradually returning.

Kimiko grabbed onto Wuya's leg, but was unable to budge it. The chuckling rang inside her head.

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko woke up in her bed, a big smile on her face. The place next to her was empty. "Raimundo?"

XxXxXxXxX

She ran down the stairs. The couch had a couple of blankets on it. She tossed the blankets aside. There was no one there.

"Where are you?!"

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo sat at a sidewalk café staring at his lunch. It was a sushi platter. The idea of tuna wrapped in seaweed and rice hadn't been immediately appealing, but Kimiko - the woman he fell in love with and married, not the stranger who resided in his house - turned him onto the cuisine of her homeland.

He glanced up at the clear blue sky. What was he to do about his wife? Raimundo's mind started to wander…

XxXxXxXxX

Memories of Kimiko in her baby doll nightgown filled his mind. She walked up to him. "…_the past is never too far away."_

His meditation with Master Fung appeared next. "_I'd been having this nightmare…"_

"…_I think you may have solved the problem with your wife."_

"…_wanted to make love to me…"_ The various moments of Kimiko's amorous attitude flashed in his memory, one after the other.

"_Before today…"_

The phone call flashed in his mind next. "_I love you." _

"_I love _you…"

Several more moments appeared, this time of Raimundo rebuffing Kimiko: at home, at the construction site… "_I rejected her."_

Next in his mind came the pile of ash that used to be a chair. "…_she burned…me…"_

XxXxXxXxX

At the table, Raimundo shook his head. The last set of images that invaded his mind were those of Kimiko. The concerned look she had on her face when she asked him about the nightmare gave way to her various trampy outfits. "_Wuya had a body…" _He looked off into the distance, a shocked expression on her face.

"Wuya's controlling Kimiko!", he stated in a hushed whisper.

Raimundo balled his hands in anger, but, after a few moments, his grip loosened. His anger was replaced with fear. Not just fear for himself and what Wuya was capable of with Kimiko's powers, but fear for his wife. He didn't want to hurt her to get to Wuya, but that option wasn't too far from his thoughts. There wasn't a court in the world that would consider possession grounds for spousal abuse.

If he couldn't outfight Wuya, he would have to outthink her.

He allowed his mind to wander once more.

XxXxXxXxX

The image of Master Fung appeared in his mind. "_You will need to go back to the beginning."_

The young man rubbed his chin. "Maybe, he means the beginning…of our training; the beginning of the trouble with Wuya."

"…_you'll find an unlikely expert on the problem at hand."_

"Well, Wuya's the problem, so an expert would be someone who knows her; someone who would have an inkling of how to stop her." Raimundo considered this. His eyes widened as an 'ah, come on!' expression filled his face. If there was a living expert of Wuya in the world, it could only be one person. He hoped he'd never have to see this person again, but, if he wanted Kimiko back, he'd have to seek the "expert" out.

Raimundo sighed. This was not going to be easy.


	5. Looking for Help

The red-orange sun set in the distance. Raimundo didn't really have the time to watch it, for he only desired to go home.

He opened the door of his home and walked in. "Hello? Kimiko?" He sat down on the couch and relaxed.

"Hello, Raimundo." The ice in Kimiko's voice sent a chill down the young man's spine.

He stood up and took her in his arms. "Hello, my darling wife whom I love." He wore a smitten look on his face as he spun her around. "How have you been?", he asked as he put her down.

"Fine. Where have you been?"

"Work. It was a hard day, but I'm in the mood to…relax." Raimundo placed extra emphasis on the last word.

The hard look on the woman's face melted into a pleased expression. "Really?"

He nodded. "Uh-huh. What's for dinner?"

Kimiko stared. Her host usually did the cooking. She hadn't prepared her own food in centuries. She looked away. "I…thought we could go out."

Raimundo shook his head. "Nah. That's all right. We can always stay in." He walked her to the couch and allowed her to sit down. He bent down on one knee.

The young woman looked down. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"You need to relax." He started to rub her feet.

"I _am_ re…" Kimiko's protests faded into contented cooing as Raimundo continued on the massage. A wide smile formed on her face. "Ohhhhh."

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled as he gently set her feet down.

"That was amazing."

Raimundo grasped his wife's hands. "Kimiko, I just want to say that I'm sorry I've been so distant lately. I want to make it up to you any way I can."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Any way?"

"Any way at all. You name it."

Another face-breaking smile appeared on the young woman's face.

XxXxXxXxX

The last hour had been a blur to the young man. All he remembered was dragging Kimiko upstairs and setting her down on the bed.

Those who had been in the neighborhood had heard moaning coming from the house, but thought better of getting involved.

Raimundo rolled off of his wife and lied back on his bed. He exhaled. "Wow."

Kimiko giggled. "'Wow' doesn't begin to describe it."

"That…was incredible."

The young woman turned sideways, resting her head on her hand. "Could you answer me something?"

"Sure."

"How long?"

He shook his head. "What?"

"How long have you known?"

A small laugh escaped his lips. "What are you talking about?"

"You go from refusing to touch me to…this? Not that I'm not grateful, but…I know you know."

"What do I know? There aren't any secrets between us."

"You'd like to think that, but I am not the kind of woman you should be messing around with." Kimiko's voice slowly faded to that of Wuya. Her scowl changed to a confident look.

Raimundo simply stared. "Do you really think I'm scared of you? You got what you wanted. Let Kimiko go."

"You're partially right. I did get what I want, and I'll continue to do so. And, by the way, there's someone I think you'll want to talk to."

The young woman shimmered, her eyes rolling into her head. Her eyes open once again, but there was a look of innocence on her face. "Raimundo, did you just sleep with Wuya?"

He shook his head in a surprised manner. "Kimiko? Is that…_really_ you?"

"Yes. Did you?"

The young man looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "How did you know?"

"She had me watch the whole thing. How could you do this?!"

Raimundo put his hands up in defense. "Well, she was all over me the last couple days. I figured that if I did this, she'd let you go."

"Raimundo, think! This is Wuya. Does she really work that way?"

A few moments of silence passed before he scowled at her. "What the hell else was I supposed to do? Smack her around until she left your body?"

"We'll talk about this later."

"No, Kimiko. There's nothing wrong with right now."

"I can't believe you slept with her!" Raimundo opened his mouth to speak. "And don't give me any 'technically, I slept with you' crap!"

Kimiko shook and gulped. The deceitful look returned to her face. "Having a row with the wife, are we?", she inquired in Wuya's voice.

"Leave me alone." Raimundo stood up from the bed, but Kimiko grabbed him and pulled him down. She placed her arms on either side of him.

"Oh, grow up. As I said earlier, I'm gonna continue to get what I want."

"And what is that?"

She threw her arms up. "The world!" Taking advantage of the split second, Raimundo tried to make a break for it. Kimiko shifted a knee toward his crotch, eliciting a yell from the young man.

"I don't believe I finished talking."

"And how are you going to take it over? It's not like the Reversing Mirror is gonna be any good to you."

"Well, I--" She shook her head. "What do you mean by that?"

"A few years ago, we broke it. It was too risky having it around…in case you ever got loose. Omi just wanted to keep it buried beneath the Earth, but he was outvoted."

Kimiko simply shrugged. "That's no problem. I can just rule the world like this."

Raimundo looked at her skeptically. "In Kimiko's body?"

She shook her head. "You really know how to underestimate a girl, don't you? Your wife is set to inherit one of the world's leading toy and video game companies. Society, at large, is addicted to the products of Tohomiko Industries."

The young man thinks her words over. He stares into her eyes.

"You really have to appreciate the ways mankind tries to destroy itself. People have fought over video games, sacrificed money and sleep for video games and some have even killed for them. In a few short years, the world's population will have brought the end of civilization…and they won't have even realized it until it's too late."

"Not too bad, but why tell _me_ all of this?"

"Every queen needs a king."

"You just don't quit, do you? You're like the Terminator of skanks."

Kimiko leaned in close. "Try spending 1500 years in enforced chastity and see how reserved you are, then."

"And if I don't go along with this plan, oh Queen of Hearts?"

"Not only does the company have influence, but I do too." Wuya cleared her throat, allowing Kimiko's voice to come out. "'Raimundo, what are you doing with that meat cleaver? No, stop, please! Don't hurt me! I'm your wife! I love you!'" Another throat-clearing brought the Heylin witch's dark voice back. "Get the point?"

"To quote myself, 'Do you really think I'm scared of you?'."

"I don't care if you hate my guts…"

"Which I do."

"Of course. Why _else_ would you knowingly sleep with me?" Kimiko ran a finger along Raimundo's chest. "I don't care if you hate my guts. If you don't stand with me, then you're standing in my way." He groaned as her finger started to smoke. "And I just can't have that."

She removed her finger, leaving a burning sensation. The young man slapped his hands on his chest, hoping to put out the fire she started.

"Besides, it would be a tragedy if the gorgeous CEO of Tohomiko Industries and her loving husband ended up perishing in a fire that…burned the both of them beyond recognition."

Raimundo shook his head. "Wait. If we're burned beyond recognition, how will people know it was us."

"Our dental records…look, this is not open for discussion. I have a meeting to go to tomorrow and you need to go to work. We'll celebrate the first step of my master plan afterwards."

Kimiko rolled over in bed, which allowed Raimundo to turn away from her. He fumed at the witch's machinations.

"Oh, don't feel so bad. Whatever I don't feel like ruling over is all yours."

"Lucky me."

She leaned over and kissed his ear. "Good night, Raimundo." Kimiko's voice returned in a mocking fashion.

He simply grunted in response.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo woke up. He blindly reached his arm out, but felt nothing but the sheets.

He forced himself to open his eyes and saw that Kimiko was already dressed. Her usually easygoing look was replaced with a power suit. Where the pants would be was a skirt, showing a fatal amount of leg.

"Wakey, wakey."

The young man blew a raspberry.

"Oh, don't be that way."

Raimundo rolled over to face away from the woman.

"Whatever. I have a meeting to attend." Kimiko's hips swayed as she walked out of the bedroom.

Raimundo stared as the door closed. After a grunt, he leapt out of bed. He tiptoed to the door and cracked it open. He listened for the sound of the front door and, following a few seconds, it opened and shut.

Wasting no time, he put on a shirt and a pair of pants and hurried out of the bedroom.

XxXxXxXxX

He stopped short of the banister when he saw Kimiko standing at the door. She looked up at him.

"You sure are in a hurry to go to work. You didn't even shower."

"I'm…just anxious to get my work done."

"That's nice. Now get washed up and get dressed. We're gonna have a lot to celebrate tonight."

"Of course."

Kimiko turned to open the door. As she disappeared behind it, Raimundo ran back to the bedroom.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo sat down at the computer terminal. The downtown library was an endless source of information…for someone fluent in Japanese. Even after all these years, he was still learning.

Thankfully, the terminals had other language options.

He typed on the keyboard, entering a name into the search engine: 'Jack Spicer'.

Twenty-two pages of results came up. Guided by instinct, Raimundo clicked on the first one. It lead to a news story about Jack. Judging from the date, it was a recent one. The accompanying picture showed him in front of his home…the same place where he lived as a teenager.

Raimundo knew what he had to do.

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko sat among many others in a board room. In a homophonous way, it was a perfect description of how she felt.

It was a typical meeting where the board would be brought up to speed on the company's financial success. As usual, it was steady.

An older gentleman stood up. "This is very good to hear. Now, is there anything else?" Kimiko slowly raised her hand. The man acknowledged the gesture. "Yes, my daughter?"

She responded first with a look of surprise; this was Mr. Tohomiko? Wuya knew of the company that her host body's father owned, but she momentarily forgot that she was supposed to be someone else.

"Well, I kind of have an idea for a new game." She slowly stood to her feet.

"Oh, really? What's it about?"

Kimiko cleared her throat. "The name of the game is…'End of the World'." She starts to walk around the room, drawing the attention of the board members. "A society, much like this one, is in danger. Players from around the world hook up and play as any one of over a hundred character types. They must gather the necessary supplies to stop the world from ending. It takes a few minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master."

The members sat in awe. The elder Tohomiko started to clap. The other members soon joined in.

"Very interesting, Kimiko. I like it. We'll need to expand on some of the details, but this sounds like a terrific game."

"Thank you." A smirk tugged at her lips. If they only knew…

XxXxXxXxX

Several people passed by on the street, but Raimundo was focused solely on the pay phone he stood at.

["Yes, I need a flight to China…the next one you have, please…Beijing. Terrific. The name is 'Pedrosa'. P - E - D…yes. Domo." He hung up the phone and ran down the street, surprising some of the pedestrians.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo rushed into his house and up the stairs. After a minute, he rushed out grasping a credit card. He hurried down the stairs and looked at the card.

"Sorry, Kimiko, but this _is_ an emergency." As he ran out the door, he hoped that this would end up being more of an issue than his dalliance with Wuya when everything was straightened out.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo stood in line at the airport. Being the only person without any luggage, he really stood out. He was only two spaces away from the front. He took a breath. As much as he tried to hide it, he was nervous. Wuya may not have been quite as powerful as she used to be, but she was no less dangerous. Her grudge and Kimiko's abilities made for a deadly combination.

He looked ahead. At last, he was next. ["Yes, I called earlier. One ticket to Beijing, China, please."

The young woman working the counter looked at him. ["Yes. That will be 12,350 yen, please."

Raimundo presented the credit card to the clerk, who slid it through the machine.

A smile grew on his face as the tickets printed out. The woman handed them over. "Domo."

He checked the tickets: "Gate 12." He looked up at the symbols. Words weren't that much of a problem, but numbers, on the other hand…

He looked at the passing travelers. He turned to the clerk, but she was already with another customer.

Raimundo tapped an older woman on the shoulder. ["Could you tell me where…?" He pointed to 'Gate 12' on the ticket.

["Of course. It's just down there." She pointed ahead three gates.

Raimundo nodded. "Domo." He rushed toward the entrance.

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko opened the door, holding a bottle in her hand. "Raimundo…I'm home, and if you thought that last night was something, I'm gonna…hello?" No answer.

She set the bottle on the table and ran up the stairs. She threw open every door. There was no one in any of them.

She turned toward the stairs. Her hand lit up in flames. "So, you want to play 'hide and seek', eh?" Wuya's voice asserted itself. "Well, you are dealing with a master of the game." The flame extinguished itself in her hand.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo breathed a sigh as he got comfortable in his window seat. He glanced out of the window. The sunset looked even more beautiful then it did from a distance.

"I'll get you back, Kimiko. I promise."


	6. Tohomiko v Pedrosa

"Where is Raimundo?" Wuya stood over Kimiko. The witch looked mad enough to try anything.

The brunette shook her head. "I don't know."

"Hmmm." Wuya waved her hand, which sent Kimiko into the wall. "I'm going to ask again. Where is he?"

The young woman shakily stood to her feet. "I don't know!" She threw a ball of fire at Wuya, who dodged it easily.

"You really _don't_ care if you survive, do you? Are you really willing to perish just to protect that virile snake?"

"I don't know where he is", she insisted. "He couldn't tell me anything without telling you, and _you_ certainly don't know, do you?"

"That is a good point."

"But, no doubt about it. He's trying to find a way to stop you."

"Stop me?" Wuya laughed heartily. "Wait…I think I know where he's headed."

XxXxXxXxX

Kimiko sat up in bed. A determined look on her face, she jumped up and got dressed. She looked up slightly. "Your husband's smart, but not _that_ smart."

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo hopped off the back of the cart and planted his feet in the grass. He nodded to the driver, who rode off. It was all he could do; he may have been semi-versed in Japanese, but Chinese was a whole other animal. It took quite a charades game to get the driver to understand.

He hiked across the plains, hoping to find what he was looking for. It seemed daunting, but the well-being of his wife was worth it.

His watch had been set to Japanese time, but China was a time zone behind. He never adjusted for the time difference, but if he had to hazard a guess, he'd been walking for an hour and a half.

He tripped over a clump of dirt and fell to the ground. He wiped the dirt from his face and looked into the distance. There sat a house seemingly cut off from civilization. Raimundo took another look at it. "Can it be?"

He picked himself up and ran toward the dwelling, adrenaline surging through him afresh.

XxXxXxXxX

Jack sat at his basement table, tinkering with a circuit board. A knock at his door broke his reverie.

"Yes?" Jack tinkered a bit more. Another knock.

Jack set the board down. He'd have thrown it down in his anger, but circuit boards aren't that easy to come by.

He stomped to the door. "Ashley, if you think I'm in the mood to see you, you're…!" He threw it open. "…not Ashley."

Raimundo looked down at himself. "I kind of noticed that."

Jack leaped back into a fighting position. "What do you want here? Are you looking for trouble?"

"If I was, I wouldn't be here." Raimundo sighed. "I need your help."

Jack dropped his hands. A smile tugged at his lips. "You…need _my_ help?"

"I'd prefer you didn't draw too much attention to it, but yes."

The former boy genius simply stared at Raimundo. "I really need to savor this moment: one of my old foes asking me for help." Jack continued to stare and, after a moment, burst out laughing. He grabbed onto the table for support.

"You know what would really help you to savor the moment? Helping me!"

At that moment, Ashley walked in through the open basement door. She stopped at seeing Raimundo. "Hello. It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

"Oh, right. You've never seen me out of costume." The blonde raised her hand and twisted it into a claw. "Now do you recognize meeeeeow?"

Raimundo gaped at the woman. "Katnappe?!"

"So nice of you to remember me." Ashley rubbed against Raimundo much in the manner a cat would and let out a soft purr.

Jack stared at the spectacle and scowled. "I'm not helping you with whatever the hell you need help with. Get out of my house."

Raimundo broke away from the amorous young woman and ran in front of Jack. "Please. I need your help. Wuya's loose."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes. She…she possessed Kimiko."

"Wait a minute." The blonde stepped forward. "You two are, what, dating?"

"Married, three years."

Jack and Ashley cast surprised glances at Raimundo, then each other.

"I figured if anyone knew what made Wuya tick, it'd be you."

"I'm flattered, but no. That part of my life is over and done with."

"Listen to reason." Jack put a hand to his ear. "Come on!"

"Do you mind? I'm listening to reason."

"Jack!"

"Forget it. You and Kimiko can sort this out on your own. I have a job to start tomorrow."

Ashley's face lit up. "You got the job?"

"Yep." Jack resumed working on the circuit board.

"How nice for you. Why won't you help me?"

"Because this is my way of beating you after all those defeats you handed me in the past."

Raimundo slammed a fist on the table. "You're really gonna let a grudge stop you from acting like a decent human being?"

"Haven't I made it clear enough? Yes!"

Raimundo looked Jack in the eye, then turned away. "Yeah, I guess it is too bad. Once Wuya gets through with me, she might work her way down the food chain and ultimately wreak nasty, third-degree vengeance on a former boy genius…but you're right, Jack. It's not your problem." He walked toward the door.

"Damn right, it's not my problem. Tomorrow, I start my engineering position with Tohomiko Industries. My life continues without you."

Raimundo stopped walking. "Who'd you say you were working for?"

"Tohomiko Industries."

A smirk on his face, the young Brazilian turned around. "Kimiko is on her way to running that company, which you now work for. Also, she's being controlled by Wuya."

"What's your point?"

Raimundo rolled his eyes. "Do you really want to be taking orders from Wuya the rest of your life?"

Jack paled, which was remarkable for someone with such pasty skin. Raimundo confidently walked toward the door and almost disappeared behind it.

"Wait!"

Raimundo turned around. "Yes?"

"What exactly do you need?"

XxXxXxXxX

The sun shined down on the temple. Meditating in the garden was Omi. Walking silently behind him was Master Fung, who rested a hand on his shoulder.

"To be complete, one must have stimulation as well as meditation."

Omi opened an eye. "I am aware of that, Master Fung. It's just that these new students are so…frustrating."

"In all fairness, Omi, it was your wish to remain here to expand your consciousness."

"Even so, I doubt that any of these new monks will be able to handle the kinds of threats that I faced."

"You were rough around the edges yourself in the past."

The younger monk sniffed the air. "Do you smell something?" It was the distinct aroma of brimstone.

"Perhaps Dojo is suffering from the flu?"

The two ran toward the entrance. They both stared in shock at the person scowling at them. Her hands were engulfed in flame, as if she was ready to toss fireballs. Her piercing blue eyes glanced out from beneath dark hair.

She smiled at the men. "Did you miss me?" It was Kimiko, but her voice was much lower than the girlish tone the men had grown to love.

XxXxXxXxX

Utilizing his copter pack, Jack flew through the air. On either side of him were a pair of Jackbots. They weren't designed to carry passengers, so Raimundo and Ashley had little choice but to hang on for all they were worth. He was more surprised than either of his traveling companions that the robots could still fly.

"What happened? We had buried that puzzle box." Raimundo put a hand to his temple using his free hand.

"You buried it?"

"Yeah. Chase Young was all too happy to have us lock her up." Without the full extent of powers that Wuya possessed in her womanly form, she was something of a nuisance.

"Can you remember where she was buried?"

"Yeah." Raimundo pointed to his left. "Just over that mountain range."

"So, you and that girl--"

"Kimiko." She was more than 'that girl' to Raimundo and the tone in his voice reflected that.

"Right." Ashley smiled nervously. "What, you and her were dating for all those years?"

"Nah. We started dating after we left the temple." Raimundo sighed. "We went together so well. I proposed to her and she accepted. We've been living in Japan ever since."

"Oh! How romantic."

Jack looked down. "You mean _that_ mountain range?"

"Yeah. That…" Where there was once solid ground, there laid a pile of rubble. "What happened?!"

"There was an earthquake a few weeks ago. A 7.0. It must've shook the box loose."

"The box must still be under that rubble", the woman offered.

"Looks like we dig." Jack pointed down. "Jackbots, excavate!" The robots dove toward the rubble. The two passengers cried out. "Sorry! Slowly descend, then excavate."

XxXxXxXxX

"Kimiko!" Omi stepped forward. "You're eyes are a sore sight for--"

"Oh, no, you don't." Kimiko tossed a fireball at Omi, who jumped back just in time.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Omi, get back!"

"Might wanna do as he says, cueball", she taunted as she threw another flaming volley.

Master Fung stood his ground, refusing to budge. "What do you want here…Wuya?"

The flames in Kimiko's hands briefly extinguished. "You knew?" The voice of the Heylin witch replaced that of the young woman.

"From the moment Raimundo visited during meditation."

"Huh. You knew I was coming and yet, you did nothing to stop me."

"You don't even have your own body. You're not as powerful as you once were, and, on top of that, you're forcing poor Kimiko to do your dirty work."

"What's your point?"

"One who is conceited takes longer to realize that they're fighting a losing battle."

Kimiko snorted. "You're losing your touch, and I'm losing patience. Where is Raimundo?!"

"_Behind you." _Kimiko turned and smiled.

"Raimundo, hello. You've been keeping secrets from me." Without losing a beat, she slipped right into Wuya's voice. "How could you do that to your wife?"

He shook his head. "You are not my wife."

She scowled and launched a fireball at him. He backflipped away from the flame and planted his feet on the ground. He ran away, giving a momentary glance back at the woman chasing him.

Omi looked out at the couple. "Master Fung, should we not go after them? Perhaps Raimundo will need assistance."

"No, Omi. Raimundo will know what to do."

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo was determined to keep running. He didn't want Kimiko to catch him, but he had to face the truth: he was getting tired.

His training allowed him to keep his stamina up for extended periods of time. Even so, his legs gave out from under him. He lied against a tree, sinking to the ground.

Kimiko, on the other hand, was operating on a limitless supply of Heylin rage. The spirit was willing, even though the flesh was weak.

She looked down at the young man. "Oh, Raimundo. Are we tired?"

"Tired of having to deal with you, you horrible witch."

"Now, that's just not polite. Why can't you see that we have the perfect life? I have the perfect plan, the perfect means to carry it out, the perfect b…okay, so the body could use some work, but nothing I can't handle." Raimundo panted as Kimiko walked up on him.

"Get…away from me." He slowly stood to his feet. She reached a hand out to caress him, but he reared back.

"Don't flatter yourself." Instead of a caress, she simply smacked him. With that, Raimundo put his hands in front of him. From them came a huge burst of wind that shoved Kimiko a good thirty feet back.

A smile developed on Raimundo's face as he continued to run.

XxXxXxXxX

Raimundo kept running. He knew that Wuya wouldn't give Kimiko up willingly, but he hoped that the plan he had rumbling around in his head would eventually pan out. The part of the plan that involved getting Wuya away from the Shen Gong Wu was a smashing success.

He stopped a few feet before the edge of the cliff in front of him.

"_Nowhere to go, Raimundo."_

He had little choice but to turn around. Kimiko walked toward him. "I've had just about enough of this."

"So have I." Raimundo started to circle his wife. She was careful to keep him in her sights. He took a breath as he put his hands up. "I give up."

The woman raised her eyebrows. "You do?", she replied in a shocked tone of voice.

"Yeah. I can't keep this up, forever."

"Well, it's good of you to realize this."

"Yeah, and Kimiko? I don't know if you can hear this, but whether or not you can, I want you to know that I love you. I love you…and I always will."

Faster than the woman could see, Raimundo shot his hands up at her and summoned forth a massive gust of wind. She tried to keep her footing, but she flew off of the cliff.

Kimiko let out a blood-curdling scream as she fell. She reached out her hands to grab onto the rocks, but they broke loose. The screaming grew louder. As her body was halfway down the cliff, a purple mist flew from her body. The mist re-shaped itself into an apparition with black raccoon-like markings around swirled eyes and a pointed red nose. Glancing down at the falling woman, the spirit flew off.

"Raimundo!"

He looked down at Kimiko. She was struggling to climb onto a rock ledge.

"I'm coming!", he called to her. He ran back, then ran off the cliff and positioned himself as best as he could to fall toward her.

He landed on the ledge that she was grasping so desperately. He pulled her up and the couple sat, huddled together.

Raimundo looked his wife in the eyes. There were a number of emotions that she was feeling, but, at the moment, she was relieved to be alive and conscious.

"Kimiko, are you okay?"

"I am now." She smiled sweetly. Raimundo hugged her tightly.

XxXxXxXxX

The spirit known as Wuya flew through the air. "I can't believe he'd have killed his own wife just to be rid of me. I knew I made the right choice."

Out of nowhere, another spirit, one who resembled Omi more than a little bit, appeared before her.

"Dashi! Not again!" The new spirit pulled the now-screaming Wuya toward a box. Once both apparitions were inside, a pair of hands closed the box. Jack Spicer's hands.

He gave the box a shake. "I like you better like this. Hold this, will you?" Jack handed the box to Ashley, who held onto him. "By the way, are you sure you wouldn't rather take one of the Jackbots back?"

She smiled at him. "No. This is much better." She started to purr.

"That's really annoying."

Ashley pouted a little, something which Jack picked up on. "I said it's annoying. I didn't say I minded."

"Oh!" As they flew away, the woman resumed purring.

Kimiko looked up at the two young adults sharing a copter pack. "Is that Jack Spicer?"

The young man nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Who's that with him?"

"Katnappe."

"What are they, an item?"

Raimundo shrugged. "I guess."

"Shouldn't we go after them?"

"They helped save you. Let's give 'em a one-year head start."

"Raimundo, why did you sleep with Wuya?"

"Kimiko…"

"And why did you blow me off a cliff?! What's the matter with you?"

"You're back to normal, aren't you?"

"If I had to go through this, I'd rather be possessed by Wuya!"

"Well, I'd rather put the moves on Wuya if you're going to be so ungrateful!"

"Well, I'd rather you drop dead!"

"Ladies first!"

To each one's surprise, Raimundo and Kimiko started to furiously make out. After about a minute, they separated, panting heavily.

Kimiko fanned herself. "We should fight more often."

"I hear you. The making-up is great."

She took a brief glance downward. "Rai, the view is nice and all, but…how are we going to get down?"

"My wind got us here. It can get us down. Besides, what's the hurry? As I recall, you owe me a sunset."

Kimiko scowled, but allowed her expression to soften. "I guess I can deal with that."

Raimundo put his arm around his wife, pleased that he had her back. He checked his watch. "I'd say it's a good two or three hours off." He kissed her cheek. "You know what? This view _is_ nice."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: prncssGrl1881's "100 Moments" inspired me to take on a "Xiaolin Showdown" story, so whether you liked it or hated it, she deserves partial credit. Also, I must kind of admit that this is something of a retread of an earlier story of mine and it wasn't until a couple chapters in that I became consciously aware. I could've stopped, but I don't believe in starting something, then not finishing it.

Thanks for reading and reviewing and have a nice day.


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